Paul Allen and Vladimir Putin Rule the Superyacht Scene at the Sochi Olympics

$186M was spent to transform a cargo port into a marina capable of berthing large yachts in Sochi, site of the Winter Olympics, in anticipation of the mega rich visitors who would arrive by sea. So far, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Tatoosh is the only really recognizable vessel to have taken advantage of the pricey port. The incredible 303-foot yacht, which steamed into Sochi the other day, was built in 2001 by Nobiskrug and refit in 2010. It can accommodate 20 guests and 30 crew members, and has a cinema, swimming pool, two helipads, a basketball court, recording studio, spa, massage room, gym, and a games room. The Tatoosh’s only real competition on the superyacht front in Sochi — aka the “Russian Riviera” — comes from Vladimir Putin, the Russian President himself.

In his position as Russia’s top power broker, Putin has the use of several impressive yachts. One of them, the aptly-named Olympia, actually calls Sochi its home port and is serving as a luxurious retreat for Putin during the games. The 187-foot Olympia was built by Feadship De Vries Shipyard in 2002 and refit in 2008. According to various reports, the yacht was “donated” to the Russian government for Putin’s use by none other than Roman Abramovich. It has room for 10 guests, along with 16 crew members. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is also expected to put in an appearance in Sochi on board his ultra-luxe 177-foot superyacht Sirius.

With lots of events left to go in the games, more massive yachts are bound to show up, so stay tuned for more sightings!

Jared Paul Stern

Jared Paul Stern is the Executive Editor of Luxury Life magazine and has written for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, the New York Times' T magazine, GQ, WWD, Vogue, New York magazine, Details, Hamptons magazine, Playboy, BlackBook, the New York Post, Bergdorf Goodman magazine and Luxist among others. The founding editor of the Page Six magazine, he has also served as a judge for everythin...(Read More)